


The Rebound

by allyasavedtheday



Series: New Beginnings [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, M/M, New Girl au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-08
Updated: 2013-03-08
Packaged: 2017-12-04 16:58:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/713001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allyasavedtheday/pseuds/allyasavedtheday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott and Allison think Derek needs a rebound to get over Kate. After all the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Too bad the someone else is a terrible person, then again Stiles has always had a thing for saving the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rebound

**Author's Note:**

> As always, characters are not mine :)

Derek has a system. When life decides to kick his ass he allows himself to wallow in self-pity until he decides to pick himself up again. He always does in the end.

So that’s why, right now, he’s lying on the couch in his new apartment watching some action movie whose name he can’t remember so he can watch stuff blow up.

He hasn’t moved since approximately 8 o’clock this morning.

It’s four now.

He knows Allison and Scott are gossiping about him from where they’re sitting at the kitchen table but he doesn’t care, he’s detoxing.

*

“Has he talked to you?” Scott whispers, brow furrowing.

“Why would he talk to me?” Allison asks, hands curving around her mug of tea.

“Because you’re the sensible one!” Scott answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Allison blushes in the same way she always does whenever Scott inadvertently compliments her. “No, he hasn’t. I think he wants to deal with this on his own, Scott.”

Scott’s frown deepens and he honest-to-god almost starts to pout. Derek’s only been living with them for a week but he’s already attached.

Then his expression instantly brightens, “Maybe you could set him up with someone!” he whispers excitedly. 

Allison eyes Derek warily, “I don’t know….”

“Come on! Your office is full of single girls who’d be  _dying_  to go on a date with him.”

Allison is considering the idea when Stiles comes bounding through the front door.

“Happy Friday peasants!” Stiles breezes through the living room, only stopping briefly to say, “Hey Derek, still moping?”

“Yup,” Derek affirms without taking his eyes off the screen.

“Good for you bro,” Stiles arrives in front of the kitchen table and drops a stack of papers down in front of him. “It’s Friday,” he grins.

“We know, Stiles,” Scott laughs.

Stiles hovers for a second and claps his hands together. “Welp, I’m going to grade these papers so I can get drunk tonight.” With that, he grabs the stack of papers again and practically skips into his room.

Scott laughs again, shaking his head fondly when Allison pokes his side, “Hey!” she whispers. “I text April from work, she said she’ll go out with Derek tonight.”

“Awesome. That’s perfect!” Scott whispers back grinning delightedly.

“Derek,” he calls a little louder. “What d’you think about going on a date tonight?”

Derek actually sits up so Scott can receive the full force of his glare. “No,” he answers gruffly.

“Whoa,  _easy_. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Just a rebound to get your mind off Kate.” Scott uses his best persuasive voice and coupled with the puppy dog eyes, Derek doesn’t stand a chance.

Derek glares for a few moments more before sighing dramatically and flopping back down on the couch.

“Fine,” he grumbles.

Allison and Scott proceed to take part in the world’s quietest high five after that.

*

Stiles emerges from his room in skinny jeans and a clean shirt around 8 o’clock.

“Hey, where’s Mr. Grouchy Pants? Did he actually leave the couch?” he asks in mock incredulity.

“He has a date,” Allison says, rolling her eyes while Scott smirks smugly beside her.

“Oh God,” Stiles’ face falls, realisation dawning on him. “Did you two set him up with someone? I told you that you were never allowed do that again after that disastrous date I had with April!”

“Heh funny you should mention that…” Scott trails off, avoiding Stiles’ gaze.

_“You set him up with April?”_

“He’s not looking for anything serious! Just a rebound!” Allison reasons.

“And she’s the only one in the office that Allison doesn’t care if she never talks to again,” Scott adds quietly.

Stiles sighs pinching the bridge of his nose. April is a raging bitch…then again Derek’s personality isn’t exactly sunny. Maybe they’d get along… “Whatever. I’m going to the bar. Wanna come?”

Allison and Scott share a look; they’re curled up on the couch under the blanket Allison’s grandma knitted with mugs of hot chocolate and a bowl of popcorn. Ugh, adorable idiots.

“Never mind. Go have your cozy little couple night,” Stiles says rolling his eyes and shrugging on his jacket.

“We expect you home at a reasonable hour young man!” Scott teases.

“Yeah. With no strange ladies,” Allison adds, smirking.

“Hate you both!” Stiles calls cheerily, opening the door. He pops his head back in at the last minute, “Hey, since Derek’s our roommate and he works at the bar, do you think we’ll get free drinks now?”

Scott throws a cushion at him with ridiculously good aim but he slams the door shut just in time.

*

He’s been at the bar for less than ten minutes when he sees her. _April._ Her eyes zero in on him immediately and she grins devilishly. She saunters over with an exaggerated swish of her hips and sidles up to him.

“My, my, my. Stiles Stilinski. Fancy seeing you here.” April winks conspiratorially at him. Stiles is in the middle of formulating a scathing retort when he remembers she’s supposed to be with Derek.

“Don’t you have a date?” he asks.

April laughs, her hand falling to rest on his arm - God, her moves are transparent when he’s not distracted by her…well, her everything. “Changed my mind.”

Stiles feels an unwarranted anger rise up inside of him. He doesn’t even know Derek that well, why should he care? “Does  _he_  know that?”

She shrugs. “Thought I’d have more fun here. Wanna play a game, Stiles?”

Oh yeah, because April’s evil and no one should have to put up with her bullshit. That’s why.

She’s smiling that seductive smile that once upon a time would’ve made him revert to a babbling, nonsensical idiot. Not anymore though.

“I’m afraid I have to go, but have fun playing with yourself.” His smile comes out more like a sneer but he doesn’t particularly care. He slips out of her grasp, making his way toward the door and pulling out his phone.

Scott’s overly cheery when he picks up and Stiles really doesn’t want to know why. “Hey dude! What’s up?”

“What restaurant were Derek and April going to?” Stiles asks urgently.

“The one across the street from the bar, why?”

“I’ll tell you when I get home after I sit you and Allison down for a lecture about how you are  _never allowed to match make again,_ ” he replies emphatically.

He hears a muffled “oh shit” from Scott’s end of the line and then there’s silence until he hears Allison. “Stiles? What happened?”

“What happened is that your terrible ability to set people up has forced me to be knight in shining armour for our new roommate who I’m not even sure I really like yet.” 

Allison’s quiet a minute before she sighs. “Just…make sure Derek’s okay and then you guys should come home.”

Stiles softens a bit at the honest worry in Allison’s voice. He replies more gently this time, “Yeah sure. I’ll call you later.” 

He pushes his way out the door of the bar and crosses the street quickly to Angelo’s. It’s a nice restaurant; he’s been there on a few dates before. He scans the room and spots Derek tucked into a booth in the back corner of the room.

Derek looks up in surprise when Stiles comes to a stop in front of his table. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

Stiles figures he should probably be the one to take the lead so he drops down on the seat opposite him and grins. “Hi!”

Derek sputters for an indeterminable moment, trying to come up with something to say. “What are you doing here?” he eventually manages to grind out.

“Saving your ass from being stood up,” Stiles replies nonchalantly but he keeps the undercurrent of softness in his tone - getting stood up sucks.

Derek deflates then. He slumps back in his seat with a sigh and nods slightly. “How’d you know?” he asks quietly.

“I’ve had my own experiences with April,” he shrugs sheepishly.

It seems to be the right thing to say because Derek doesn’t look like a kicked puppy anymore. Instead he raises his eyebrow questioningly and Stiles can’t help the blush that spreads across his cheeks. “Just uh…it didn’t end well.”

Derek nods again looking as though he’s trying to bite back a smirk and it kind of makes Stiles grin in spite of himself. He doesn’t really have an opinion of Derek yet but he thinks just maybe, he could like him.

“I knew she wasn’t coming, you know? It didn’t take me that long to figure out,” Derek comments offhandedly breaking the silence that had settled between them.

“Then why’d you stay?” Stiles asks, brow furrowing in confusion.

“Just didn’t feel like going home yet.” Derek shrugs not meeting Stiles’ eyes.

“Why? Is it because of Scott and Allison? Because I can tell them to tone down the all the lovey-dovey stuff. I mean, I’m pretty used to it by now so I hardly notice but if it makes you uncomfortable-“

“It’s not that.”

“Then what? Is it me? I know I don’t make the best first impressions and I talk a lot and I’m loud and I-“

“Stiles,” Derek cuts him off loudly. “It’s not that either. It’s just going to take some getting used to to remember that my home isn’t with Kate anymore…” 

"Oh.” An awkward silence falls over them and Stiles clears his throat fumbling with the menu. “What d’you say we split a cheesecake?” he asks, offering an olive branch.

Derek shakes his head, "No."

“Oh I-“ Stiles barely has a chance to make up some excuse to save his dignity when Derek cuts him off again.

“But I  _will_  split the chocolate fudge cake with you if we get ice-cream on the side,” he says with a sly smirk, snatching the menu out of Stiles’ hand.

Stiles feels his grin return as he nods in agreement. “Derek, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” he sighs smoothly.

“Did you just quote Casablanca at me?” Derek has that look in his eye that Scott and Allison get sometimes. The ‘you’re such an idiot but I’m oddly endeared by you’ look. It does things to Stiles’ brain.

“You recognised the quote! There might be hope for you yet, Mr. Hale.” 

Derek chuckles and looks like he’s annoyed with himself for doing so but he has the kind of smile that lights up his whole face and it makes Stiles want to smile in answer.

Beautiful friendship, indeed.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thing with this fic - loved the idea, plays like a movie in my head but is a bitch to write. So I'm not sure if I like this but I can't deal with it sitting in my drafts judging me soo


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